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Hornets GM Dell Demps becoming accustomed to 'new normal'

For the last seven years, residents of this community have become accustomed to surviving in what has come to be known as "the new normal." For the first time since his arrival here in July 2010, New Orleans Hornets General Manager Dell Demps is finding his comfort level in the NBA's version of the same.

In the 28 months he has been in control of the Hornets' on-court fortunes, life has been anything but normal for Demps.

"You know," Demps said this week, "it has been different every year since we arrived."

Hours after assuming his role with the Hornets, Demps was meeting with the franchise's unhappy superstar to lay out his plan for the team's competitive future and try to convince him to remain with the team long-term.

Five months later, the NBA was assuming control of the franchise, purchasing the team from former owner George Shinn and minority partner Gary Chouest and placing it in league-controlled receivership until a buyer could be found that would commit to keep the team in New Orleans.

Demps put out the initial fire with since-traded All-Star point guard Chris Paul, who, along with now departed forward David West, and an unexpected quick start from the team guided by first-year Coach Monty Williams, helped put the Hornets into the Western Conference playoffs following that first season.

Last year, it seemed Demps, under the watchful eye of the league office, was turning over the Hornets' roster quicker than a French Quarter tarot reader, juggling parts and working around injuries in a lockout-shortened regular season that saw New Orleans landin the lottery where Demps and Williams hit the jackpot.

The team already had won the lottery, of sorts, in mid-April when Tom Benson and his wife Gayle wrote the league a $338 million check to purchase the franchise and provide guaranteed stability for the next decade.

The players the Hornets put on the floor this season will be comprised completely of selections Demps and Williams collaborated upon, the first time either man could say that since they came on board in the summer of 2010.

Williams said he views the upcoming season as a potential barometer to gauge upcoming growth, pointing out the collective youth of the roster (currently 13 under the age of 25) But he isn't ready to call the current Hornets a finished product.

"Dell and I talk a lot about the roster and where do we see ourselves in the future," Williams said. "It's been set up in a way that it gives us even more flexibility next summer to spend some money. Then once we spend that money next summer, I'm thinking 'That's our team.'

"We have a great foundation and I think it's set. The guys are so young I don't want to put that kind of pressure on them and say 'We're going to do this.' Those guys need to figure it out.

"Next summer, you give Austin and Anthony a year under their belt, and we go out and spend some money and find another player, that team needs time to jell. You ain't going to just put it together and think it's going to work. With young guys, we're teaching again. That's a tough spot. We've got some guys who know things, but for the most part, our foundation, we're teaching those guys everything right now. We think we can win while we're teaching because we have high-talent, high-level guys, but it can be hard."

I'm happy for Demps & Williams. I'm sure before this year's Draft Lottery they had high concerns for their futures here. They came into a bad situation that continued to get worse which they had no control over.

No complaints from them, and they continued to work to the best that they could. It appears karma worked in their favor the night of the Lottery. Barring any Trailblazers-like scenarios... I expect them to be here for a long time with many successful seasons.

I love Dell's honesty. He's usually upfront about most subjects. He rarely dances around the issues and will let you know what he thinks. He said he wanted to get younger. He went out and got rid of Jack, Ayon, Okafor and Ariza, Let Kaman and Landry walk, and went with the youth movement. He said he wanted to get longer after playing the Lakers in the playoffs a season ago, continued to talk about size after last season, and he went out and did just that. He did it in a way no one expect him to. With Davis, Lopez, Anderson, and Smith, the Hornets are one of the longest front-courts in the league. Not only that, but they are one of the most athletic front-courts.

Demps is not a perfect GM and he does make mistakes. But the thing that makes him special is his ability to flip bad contracts into assets. Demps has proven that he is capable of working with very little and takes a shrewd businessman approach. With the flexibility he created this summer, he was able to turnover this team in 2 years. To think that we came this far in so little time is nothing short of incredible.

Dell and I talk a lot about the roster and where do we see ourselves in the future," Williams said. "It's been set up in a way that it gives us even more flexibility next summer to spend some money. Then once we spend that money next summer, I'm thinking 'That's our team.

So after next offseason, Monty thinks that most of the roster will be set. Interesting. I can't wait to see how their plans unfold.

"I'm not going to allow my putative owner to answer that question, this is an NBA related press conference. Paul Tagliabue and Roger Goodell have collectively sung their praises of Tom and if uh ESPN has a problem with that tell Mr. Skipper to call me at my office."

1) We could spend all our money on one guy like Harden or Iggy, and be done with it. I'd probably rather that. Either would be great on this roster.

2) We could get a guy like Pekovic or Jefferson AND a guy like Rush or Wright.

Not to mention we probably will have a lottery pick next year. Im pretty high on all those players too, especially Iggy and Pek (We're not landing Harden). Iggy patches so many holes for our team and is honestly a perfect fit here. I just wish he was slightly younger; handing a max contract to a 29-year old is risky. Pek compliments Davis by fufilling the bruiser role. His rebound rate is outstanding and his passing skills are very underrated. The question is whether managment goes with the current trend of frontcourt lineups vs the traditional trend. Same idea extends to Jefferson. Wright is also very intriguing (not quite a home run, but a very good player nevertheless), but I can see Philly making a strong push to resign him. From what Ive read, they love what they have seen from him so far. Combine that with Turner's lackluster play, and it becomes clear that there would be a huge gap at the 3 for Philly if he leaves (theyll probably overpay to keep him). Hes also a natural fit next to the low post presence they have with Bynum. I like Rush (great shooter, solid defender, athletic), but as you probably insinuated, he should strictly serve as a rotational player. Definitiely not your eeryday starting material.